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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Sciences of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs
Fax: (+422) 231 7391
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 75, Friday, May 14, 1993.
FROM LAST WEEK EVENTS (May 5 - 12)
Czecho-Slovak property commission negotiated on Friday in Prague
Three particular agreements (about federal assets and debits
devision, about guarantee transfer and financial subsidy from the
federation onto the republics, and about fellowship of particular
gasworks integration activities) were prepared by the common
Czecho-Slovak property commision to be signed.
From the biggest outstanding debt of the Czech Republic as against
Slovakia, left by the former state bank and amounting on 24.700.000.000
Kc, the Slovak side confirmed on Friday 6.600.000.000. A two-side expert
commission was set up to check upon the remaining sum.
In view of the constructive course of the property commission
negotiations, presidents Vaclav Havel and Michal Kovac agreed in their
Saturday phone call on postponning the top-level summit (prezidents,
premiers, ministers of finance and foreign affaires) about the federal
property separation.
Alleged Attempt to Assassinate Vaclav Havel
An assassination attempt on Vaclav Havel was probably not being
prepared at all. According to commissionar-in-chief of Prague criminal
police Miroslav Vavra, there is no evidence of a group of arrested
Yugoslavs having prepared any attempt to assassinate president Havel.
The police only owns an anonymous letter delivered on May 4 by Blesk
editorial staff (tabloid, according to the last survey the most widely
read paper in the Czech Republic). The anonymous letter informing about
an attempt to assassinate Czech President due to his open approval with
the intervention in the former Yugoslavia was also received and
published on May 7 by daily Mlada Fronta Dnes. In a similar way the
anonym sent letters to other addresees, too, including the Prague
Castle.
According to press information, the Prague police chief announced
at Friday's press conference that the police had shadowed the persons in
question for some time, and that the anonymous announcement just made
things go guicker. Seven citizens from the former Yugoslavia were
arrested on Wednesday, May 5. Two of them who did not belong to the
gang, were later set free. No weapons were found but an armed chief of
the gang escaped from the spot. The police held up several stolen cars.
The most probable background of the case are setting accounts
amongst competitive criminal clans. Yet the number of President'
s bodyguards increased.
5.000.000.000 Budget Balance
Balance amounting at 5.000.000.000 Kc was shown in the end of April
in the state budget of the Czech Republic. City and community revenues
were by 11.500.000.000 higher than their expenses. Minister of Finance
Ivan Kocarnik said this on Monday, May 10 at a press conference.
According to him thus the catastrophical prophesies about revenues
falling down in connection with the introduced value-added-tax at the
beginning of the year did not come true. Yet the minister of finance
made it clear that any development is usually better in the first term
than in the second one, therefore there is no good to overemphasize the
current results. He also said that customs-checking revealed 2500 cases
of tax-escapes and confiscated goods (mainly cigarettes and spirits) for
102.000.000 crowns.
Joblessness Very Low
The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic dropped again - in
late April 143 000 jobless people were registered, which is 2.71 per
cent. While in Prague the unemployment is almost zero (0.38 per cent),
the biggest troubles occur traditionaly in some border regions (even
above six per cent). This is the situation for example in Moravian
regions Znojmo and Vsetin.
Up to now, no negative impact of the privatisation and bankrupcies
have appeared. The bankrupcy and balance bill came into effect only on
April 22. We can expect the first break-through soon because
universities will set off 170 000 graduates this year.
New Tender of Payments in the Czech Republic
A thousand-crown bank note with the portrait of Frantisek Palacky
(Czech politician and historician of the 19th century) and with
Moravia-Silezia coat-of-arms spread-eagle will become valid in the Czech
Republic as of May 12.
Apart from this, coins in the value of 10, 20, and 50 hellers, and
10 and 20 crowns will be accepted. The stamped Czechoslovak bank notes
will be gradually withdrawn and their validity ceases on August 31,
1993. Yet they will be exchangeable till May 31, 1994.
EXCHANGE RATE OF THE CZECH CROWN
buy sell
USA 1USD 27.71 29.11
BRD 1DEM 14.44 18.36
GB 1GBP 42.79 45.63
CAN 1CAD 21.66 23.44
FRA 1FRF 5.11 5.51
AUT 1ATS 2.48 2.60
TURIST RATE OF THE SLOVAK CROWN (for 100 Sk)
buy sell
Investicni banka 87.00 92.00
Agrobanka 88.00 93.00
Komercni banka 83.00 87.00
Ceska sporitelna 87.00 93.00
The rates are valid as of May 11, 1993.
SPORT
Separation of the federation did not harm the beauty of our hockey
The Czech representation finished the third at their firt start at
recent World Championate in Germany.
Our players performed well, they lost an only point in the basic
B group right in the first match having drawn a tie with the USA 1:1.
Later they were only winning - with home Germans 5:0, with Norwegians
after a tough fight 2:0. In the next match they returned a semi-final
defeat from last year's World Championate to the Finish and beat them
3:1. Eventually they obligatorily beat France 6:2 and became the first
in their group.
In the quarter-final the hockey players from the Czech Republic
easily won 8:1 over the weakest team succeeding from A group, the
surprise of this year's championate, Italy. Along with Canada, Russia
and Sweden, our representatives suceeded to the semi-final.
In the semi-final they encountered Sweden, the world champion from
the last two years. The match with them was very dramatical. Still one
minute before the end of the normal playing time we were losing 2:3.
Coach Hlinka withdrew the goal keeper and 48 seconds before the signal
defender Kadlec shot the balancing goal and forced thus prolongement.
Both defences played well and everyone was expecting penalties. In the
69th minute the Swedish goal-keeper almost pushed a goal into his own
net but the rival set off into counterattack and his shot touched by
goalkeeper Briza ended up in our goal. A hope for the gold medal
vanished but the players soon recovered from the sorrow and in the match
for the third place smashed the excellent Canadiens 5:1. In the final
Russia beat Sweden 3:1.
The representatives of the Czech Republic lost at the championate
only once, Briza was the best goalkeeper (in seven matches he got only 9
goals) and apart from him also Kadlec and Gudas appeared in the All
Stars team. The bronze medal from Germany is a dignified result of the
newly formed national team.
WEATHER
After a short time of cold, summer weather came back again. Nightly
temperatures hover between 8 and 13, and daily ones climb as high as 22
or 26 degrees (Centigrade) which is revealed in an increased consumption
of beer. Towards the end of the last week, frequent storms brought
peasants their desirably expected moisture.
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